I Became the Mother of His Child

"I've already called home, Sister Jingjing took us to a little store outside the neighborhood to report our safety before sending us back home," Song Yuan Yao said, carefully holding Little Baby as she walked up to Xu Xiuxiu.

Xu Xiuxiu watched her daughter, aaahing in Song Yuan Yao's arms throwing out signals for a hug, instinctively reached out to take her: "Is Mommy's Little Baby being good?"

"Second Sister-in-law, both Little Baby and Little Moon are so well-behaved! When Niuniu was this little, she was incredibly fussy—crying when she peed, when she was hungry, even if you held her the wrong way, she would cry. Back then, it nearly drove me to distraction, and from that time on, I didn't like kids one bit. But today, seeing Little Moon and Little Baby, I've realized that not all kids are the same." Song Yuanming held Little Moon securely in his arms, weighing him and finding that Little Moon wasn't scared at all, even smiling and cooperating with him.

"You haven't seen these two when they're being rambunctious. They don't cry or make a fuss like other kids, but they're still quite a handful. If it weren't for Aunt Luo's good care, your Second Sister-in-law here would have been worn to a frazzle by these two little monkeys," Xu Xiuxiu chuckled at Song Yuanming's shallow understanding: "When I get home every day, the first one I must hold is Little Baby. If I hug Little Moon first, Little Baby will definitely start fussing. This girl, she's only so tiny and has already developed such a personality—all spoiled by your Second Brother." Xu Xiuxiu teased with a look that implied gossiping with her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

"Little Baby is the youngest girl, a bit of pampering and petting is only right, isn't it!" Song Yuan Yao said with an expression as if it were only natural: "My Second Brother is so stern, I really can't imagine how he dotes on our Little Baby!" Song Yuan Yao said, her face showing curiosity.

"Right! And our Second Brother's always so serious. Little Baby and Little Moon are so smiley, they must be afraid and repulsed by my Second Brother," Song Yuanming continued instinctively.

"Then you're underestimating your Second Brother. He's even more attentive to the twins than I am as their mother! And those two really cling to him." The clinginess even made Xu Xiuxiu feel a bit jealous, whether it was because Song Yuanhuan doted on Little Baby, holding her close, or because whenever Little Baby saw her own father, she smiled as if she had gotten the whole world.

"How is that possible!" Song Yuanming bluntly expressed his skepticism.

"Anyway, you're going to be staying for a few days, so you'll see for yourselves soon enough," Xu Xiuxiu, although surprised and somewhat jealous of Song Yuanhuan's Daddy's-girl behavior, didn't bother to explain in detail to her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. After all, they would all be living at home and would see how he dotes on the children.

"Tsk, tsk, it really is hard to believe," Song Yuanming said, cradling Little Moon and clicking his tongue in amazement.

Xu Xiuxiu heard this and chuckled lightly.

...

Not long after Xu Xiuxiu arrived home, Xu Jingjing, who had gone to pick up Song Chengguang from daycare, also returned. With his little backpack, Song Chengguang was like a little cannonball: "Auntie, Uncle…" For Song Chengguang, coming back home for the New Year was quite a painful experience. His dad didn't have time for him, his mom didn't have time for him, leaving him no choice but to stick with Song Yuan Yao and Song Yuanming all day long, which turned out to be a rather pitiful situation, so he developed a revolutionary-like bond with Song Yuan Yao and Song Yuanming.

"Our Cheng Guang has grown taller again." Song Yuanming was drinking a beverage. After hearing Song Chengguang's shout, he put down the cup and scooped up Cheng Guang who was running towards him.

"Uncle, you got even more handsome!" Song Cheng Guang said with a giggly smile, being held, then he flattered Song Yuanming with compliments.

"Of course," Song Yuanming said with an expression of great satisfaction, "Chengguang's taste has really gotten better and he's getting more and more handsome." Song Yuanming laughed, then tickled the little guy.

Song Chengguang was so happy he couldn't stand it.

Xu Xiuxiu had just finished feeding the boy and girl twins their formula and saw the harmonious relationship between uncle and nephew, Song Chengguang and Song Yuanming. Seeing the house buzzing with such liveliness after a long while, her mood greatly improved too.

Xu Jingjing was two years older than Song Yuan Yao, but their life paths were entirely different. However, they still found topics to chat about when sitting together.

"Sister Jingjing, are you helping out at my sister-in-law's restaurant?" Song Yuan Yao's eyes sparkled as she chatted with Xu Jingjing.

Seeing the changes in Xu Jingjing today, the confidence radiating from within made her crave that same feeling. As a girl who was honest, steady, and arranged by Father Song and Mrs. Song to have a planned life, she inwardly harbored a strong admiration for powerful women, despite her good behavior and diligence in her studies.

"Yes." Xu Jingjing was no longer as chirpy as before, perhaps because she had spent a lot of time in Z city, and even learned to speak like Song Yuanhuan—the way of speaking shortly but succinctly.

"That's awesome," Song Yuan Yao muttered quietly.

"What's so great about that, once you get exposed to it, you'll naturally pick it up," Xu Jingjing said nonchalantly, without feeling any particular pride in her accomplishments. It was really all because Xu Xiuxiu was such a formidable sister by comparison, and Xu Jingjing could hardly feel proud.

Soup City, huh! The highest-end and most comprehensive resort in F province—it's not a manor but a village, covering an area of over 60,000 square meters. What kind of concept is that? Just buying that much land would make you a wealthy woman, right? So, even though Xu Jingjing knew she was doing well now, comparison is the thief of joy. Compared to her third sister's abilities, Xu Jingjing felt she had decades of relearning to do.

"Yuanyao, you're going to stay for over two months this summer. Sichuan Pavilion is about to open a new branch. Are you interested in taking a summer job there?" Xu Jingjing, seeing Song Yuan Yao's eager and curious look, tentatively threw out the question.

"Can I?" Song Yuan Yao didn't hesitate but instinctively doubted her own confidence.

"Of course! However, working a summer job is very hard and the compensation isn't as good as it is for employees who sign long-term contracts. Do you still want to give it a try?" Xu Jingjing started as a waitress and climbed up step by step, fully aware of how hard it was. She worried Song Yuan Yao might not be able to persist. It wasn't just physical exhaustion that made it tough; being a waitress is psychologically demanding too. Every day, you meet all sorts of people, and not every customer is easy to deal with. If you encounter one who gives you a hard time, it can upset you for days.

"Sure!" Song Yuan Yao enthusiastically agreed, her eyes shining brightly.

The living room was lively. Song Yuanming played with Song Chengguang, and Xu Jingjing sat on the couch chatting with Song Yuan Yao. Xu Xiuxiu was getting ready to put the twins to sleep in time for dinner when Song Yuanhuan got back. But just then, Little Baby suddenly called out with a milk-voice that was both infantile and not very clear: "Dada…" Little Baby, having just been fed well and should have been sleepy, saw Song Yuanhuan return and immediately cried out excitedly.